Automatic stop mechanism for talking-machines



C. H. SHELDON.

AUTOMATIC STOP MECHANISM FOR TALKING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY I8, I9I9.

Patented Mar. 16, 1920.

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AUTOMATIC STOP MECHANISM FOR TALKING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY I8, 1919.

1 333fl82 Patented Mar. 16, 39241 2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

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CECIL SHELDON, or BACOLOID, PHILIPPINE IsLANns;

AUTOMATIC s ror MEcHA-NISM ron TALKING-MACHINES.

. To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, CECIL H. SHELDON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bacolod, Occidental Negros, Philippine Islands, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Automatic Stop Mecha-nisin for lalkingMachines, of which the following is a specification.

'Theinvention provides stop mechanism for iphonographs and talking I machines a generally of the type utilizing a disk record and a sound box which is mounted for movement toward and away from the disk supporting table, whereby when the end of the record has been reached the needle willbe automaticallylifted from the disk and a brake automatically set to stop the motor, thereby preventing undue Wear of the needle and record I and obviating the scratching sound generally experienced when the needle is riding on the record after the selection has been finished.

The invention aims to provide a stop mechanism which may be applied to talking machines already in service and on the market and which would admit of the playing of records whether they are provided with a stop groove or not, it being understood however, that the operation of the stop mechanism is dependent upon a stop groove, the latter consisting of an extension of the tone groove which terminates in a circular groove, the convolutions of the stop groove being rapid as compared with the convolutions of'the tone groove.

The invention also contemplates a stop mechanism embodying means for-lifting the needle from the disk and means for setting the brake to stop the action of the motor, the brake setting means being automatically broughtinto play by the lifting movement I of the needle.

7 in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the nature of the invention as claimed hereinafter.

In the drawings hereto attached,

I Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of a talking machine illustrating the application of the invention.

. Fig. 2 is a side View of theparts llustrated in Fig. 1.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented D1 1 16, 1920,

Application filed July .18; 1919. Serial No. 311,787. 7

Fig. 3 is a rear view, and p I Fig. 4 a detail view of theswivel connection between the tone arm and sound box connection illustrating the parts of the stop mechanism associated therewith. Corresponding and like parts are referred reference characters.

The talking machine embodies such Well known parts as the casing 1, swinging tone arm 2, sound box 3, rotary record supporting table 4 and brake 5. The sound box 3 is mounted so as to turn thereby admitting of the needle being lifted from the record disk 6 which is supported on the table 4. In the present instance the soundbox 3 is shown as carried by a goose-neck or U-. shaped tube 7 which is connected with the tone arm 2 by means of a swivel joint 8 in a manner well known and peculiar to a certain type of talking machines.

in the several views of the drawingsby like UNITED STATES PA OFFICE i to in the following description and indicated In accordance wlth the invention a collar 9 or like part is mounted upon an end portion of the connection 7 and has a recess 10 1n a side thereof to receive one end of a lever 11 which is pivotally mounted onthe tone arm. A spring 12 normally exerts a lateral pressure against an end of the lever 11 to yieldably press the lever against the side of the collar 9 having the recess 10 whereby to cause the lever to enter said recess; when in registering position therewith. A coil spring 12 mounted on the end of the connection 7 swivelly ointed to the tone arm 2'has one end connected to the tone arm and its opposite end passing the collar9 and the needle from the recordf When the sound box is turned to bring the needle in contact with the record it is held in playing position by the lever 11 engaging the recess 10 of the part 9. The recess 10 is of such a width as. to admit of the sound box having a tray to provide for a limited play or movement of the needle which is essentialto the successful operation of the machine. The coil spring 12 is of such tension as to gently lift or turnthe sound box when the lever 11 is disengaged from the part 9.

An arm 15 projects from the casing of the machine and extends into the path ofthe lever 11 tobe engaged thereby when the end of the recordis reached. The arm con- 7 stitutes a stop against which the lever 11 strikes. In order to bring the stop mechcontinuous path for the needle of machines due allowance 1 records.

not provided with the stop mechanism. -The stop-15 is so disposed that it will not operatethe lever 11 until the selection has been completely playedr This will necessitate I for records of different lengths-and in consequence the stop groove ofsome records will have a greater number of'convolutions of stop grooves than of other When the outer end of the lever 11 comes in contact with the stop 15, said end of the lever will be pressed toward the tone arm, thereby-moving the inner end of the lever away from the collar --9 until it K clears the recess 10 whenthe spring 12 will come intoplay to lift the needle by turning tion 8 with the tone arm.

the'sound box which in the present instance is effected by swinging the goose-neck or U- shaped connection 7 about its swivel connec- After the record has \been changed and the tone arm swung to bring the needle in position to engage the beginning of the record the inner end of the lever 11 will be pressed against the part. 8 by means of the spring 12 and upon turning the sound box to bring the needle in contact with the record the recess 10 will be moved to a position to register with the inner end'of the lever 11 which entering the recess '10 holds theneedle in playing position against the tension of the lifting s ring 12 A lever 18 is mounted upon the tone arm in position to be engaged by the sound box when the latter is swung to lift the needle from the record. Suitable connecting means are interposed betweenthe lever 18 and the brake 5 and as shown consist ofa Bowden wire 19 which includes a guide tube and a flexible connection therein, one end of the i flexible connection. being attached to the lever 18 and the other end connected to the brake 5. When the lever 18 is operated by the sound box'the brake is applied, thereby stopping the motor. When the sound box is moved o bring the needle into playing position the lever 18 is released, thereby permitting the brake 5 to automatically disengage itself from the rim or band ofthe record; supporting table land the motor being thus released imparts rotary movementtoxthe table and the record thereon. When the stop mechanism is constructed to be applied to machines on the market and in use bands 20 and 21 will be provided to be clamped on the tone arm 2 so as to support the levers 18 and 11. When the stop mechanism is to be adapted to machines in course of manufacture the levers will be mounted on studs formed as a part of the tone arm. a A machine provided with a stop mechanism will play records whether they are provided with stop grooves or not. It will also be understood that records provided with the stop groove may be played on machines not provided with the stop mechanism.- The stop mechanismis wholly au-. tomatie in operation both in lifting the needle from the record and in stoppinguthe motor. When the end of .the record has been reached and the needle enters the stop groove the tonearm receives a relatively quick movement which bringsthe lever 11 in contact with the stop :15, thereby disengaging the lever from the part 9 when the lifting spring 12 comes into play and swings the sound box to lift the needle from the record and at the same time operate the lever 18, whereby the brake is set and the motor caused to stop. Whenthe sound-box is moved to bring the needle into playing position the lever' 18. is released and the motor permitted to operate and when the recess 10 reaches a position-to registerwith the lever 11, the latter engages the recess, thereby holding the sound box in such position as to maintain thev needle in contact with the record in the manner stated.

The foregoing description and the drawings have reference to what may be considered an approved form of my invention. It is to be understood that I may make such changes in construction and arrangement and combination of parts, materials, dimensions, etc., as may prove expedient and fall within thescop'e of the appended'claims.

Having thus fully described my inven tion, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is 1; In a talking machine, including a tone arm and a sound box carried by the tone arm and mounted to turn to admit of lifting the needle from the record, a spring normally exerting a pressure to turn the sound box and hold the needle in lifted position, an annular member movable with the sound boxand having a recess in a side thereof and a' restraining member mounted upon the tone arm and adapted to engage the recess of the'annular member to hold the sound boxwith the needle in playingposition;

2. In atalking machine, including atone arm and a sound box carried by the tone arm and mounted to turn to admit of lifting the needle from'the record, a spring normally exerting a pressure to turn the'sound box and hold the needle in lifted position,

an annular member movable with the sound box and having a recess in a side thereof and a restraining member adaptedto enter saidrecess and hold the sound box with the needle in playing position, the recess being of such proportions as to admit of a limited play of the annular member whereby the needle is adapted to have a limited independent movement.

3. In a talking machine, including a swinging tone arm, a sound boX and a gooseneck connection between the sound box and tone arm and connecting with the latter by means of a swivel joint, acoil spring mounted upon an end portion of the goose-neck connection and having its ends connected with the tone arm and goose-neck connection, respectively, a lever mounted upon the tone arm and adapted to engage the said collar and a stop adapted to engage the lever to effect release thereof from the said collar.

4. In a talking machine, including a swinging tone arm, a sound box and a goose-neck connection and having its ends connected with the tone arm and goose-neck connection, respectively, a lever mounted upon the tone arm and adapted to engage the said collar, a stop adapted to engage the lever to effect release thereof from the said collar, a brake for stopping the motor and a member connected with the brake and adapted to be actuated by the sound box when elevated for setting the brake and stopping the motor.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

oEoIL I-LSHELDON.

Witnesses ELADIO MAGAPAN, GABINo BANAY. 

